How to Type an Em Dash in Word and Google Docs

Copy — when you need a true em dash. In Word for Windows, type 2014 and press Alt+X, or use Alt+0151 with the numeric keypad. In Google Docs, open Insert > Special characters and search for em dash. In Word for Mac, press Shift+Option+Hyphen. These methods insert U+2014, not a hyphen or en dash.

Copy and identify the em dash

The character — is Unicode U+2014 EM DASH. It is wider and semantically different from the ASCII hyphen-minus - and U+2013 en dash. If exact text matters, copy the character above and confirm that a character inspector reports U+2014. See the Symbol Finder when you need another punctuation or mathematical character.

Insert an em dash in Microsoft Word

Use Unicode conversion with Alt+X

1. 1.Place the cursor where the mark belongs.
2. 2.Type 2014.
3. 3.Press Alt+X.

Word converts the hexadecimal Unicode value to —. If adjacent hexadecimal characters make the selection ambiguous, select only 2014 before pressing the shortcut. Alt+X works inside Word; it is not a system-wide Windows shortcut.

Use the Windows numeric-keypad Alt code

1. 1.Turn on Num Lock if the keypad requires it.
2. 2.Hold Alt.
3. 3.Type 0151 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.

This legacy Windows input uses the numeric keypad. The number row is not an equivalent substitute, and compact keyboards may need an embedded keypad or a different method. Because legacy Alt input is application and code-page sensitive, Word's Unicode conversion or the Insert Symbol dialog is more explicit.

Use an explicit U+2014 method

This guide uses methods that identify U+2014 directly instead of depending on automatic text substitution. Use Alt+X, Insert Symbol, or the documented Word for Mac shortcut when character identity matters, then verify that the result is the em dash rather than a hyphen or en dash.

Insert an em dash in Google Docs

1. 1.Open a document in Google Docs on a computer.
2. 2.Choose Insert > Special characters.
3. 3.Search by the name em dash, enter the Unicode value 2014, or draw the mark.
4. 4.Select — from the results.

Google documents the special-character picker for Docs and Slides, not direct insertion in Sheets. For a spreadsheet cell, copy — here or from a document and paste it. Google Docs also supports configurable substitutions under Tools > Preferences > Substitutions; a user-created replacement is account or document workflow configuration, not a universal keyboard shortcut.

Insert an em dash on a Mac

Use Word for Mac's documented shortcut

In Word for Mac, press Shift+Option+Hyphen. Microsoft documents this specific shortcut for Word for Mac. Do not assume that every app or every keyboard layout implements the same sequence.

Use macOS Character Viewer

1. 1.Choose Edit > Emoji & Symbols, or open Character Viewer from the Input menu.
2. 2.Search for em dash.
3. 3.Select — to insert it.

Character Viewer is the layout-independent fallback described by Apple. It is especially useful when a hardware keyboard lacks a familiar key position or an app consumes a shortcut.

Use the em dash in HTML

HTML can contain the literal character —, the named character reference —, decimal —, or hexadecimal —. All represent U+2014 when parsed as HTML. A character reference changes the source notation, not the character's meaning. Save and serve the document as UTF-8 when using literal Unicode text.

Troubleshoot the wrong dash

• If Word leaves 2014 unchanged, verify that you are using Word and press Alt+X immediately after the code.
• If an Alt code types another character, confirm that the digits came from the numeric keypad and use Alt+X instead.
• If an automatic substitution creates a different dash, use an explicit U+2014 method and verify the resulting character.
• If a font shows a box, switch to a font containing U+2014; copying still preserves the underlying character.

For other commonly confused marks, compare the underscore guide and the greater-than-or-equal guide.

Official references

• Unicode Consortium General Punctuation chart
• Microsoft Support guide to ASCII and Unicode characters in Word
• Microsoft explanation of legacy Alt-number input
• Unicode Consortium Windows-1252 mapping
• Microsoft Support guide to hyphenation and Word for Mac dash shortcuts
• Google Docs Editors Help for special characters
• Apple User Guide for Character Viewer
• WHATWG named character references